Chapter 386: Netherworld Passage

The singing of an opera emanated from a dimly lit workshop. The shopkeeper, a multi-eyed specter, floated above the workshop, his entire body covered in eyes. As Xu Qing watched, a small fraction of the specter's many eyes turned to him.

Xu Qing paid him no mind. He walked closer and looked down at a small bronze bottle among the many items scattered on the ground.

"A Sound-Capturing Bottle."

Xu Qing recognized it instantly.

He had once possessed such a bottle, using it to capture the 'Hundred Ghosts Night Parade' melody. That melody had attracted the giant of the Sun Chariot, leading to his acquisition of the Golden Crow Refining All Spirits technique. However, that particular bottle had shattered under the immense pressure exerted by the giant.

At this moment, the opera singing was emanating from this very bottle.

Xu Qing paused in thought. He then pointed at the Sound-Capturing Bottle, looked at the multi-eyed specter, and tossed out a pouch containing a handful of souls. The specter caught the pouch and inspected its contents. All its eyes narrowed in what appeared to be contemplation, then it quickly shook its head.

Xu Qing gazed at the creature before him. Knowing that most specters in the market were greedy, he tossed out another leather pouch. This time, however, his eyes held a discernible hint of chilling resolve. Perhaps the quantity of souls was sufficient, or perhaps it was the chilling gaze, but after a moment of consideration, the multi-eyed specter nodded.

Xu Qing picked up the Sound-Capturing Bottle and capped it. As the opera singing ceased, he turned and departed.

After returning to the inn, Xu Qing gazed at the small bronze bottle in his hand as he awaited the approaching dawn. A profound sense of doubt swelled within him.

"This sound is indeed the voice of the woman from the five-sided wooden house within the ghost cave."

"Clearly, someone used a Sound-Capturing Bottle to record her voice..."

Xu Qing recalled the scene in the ghost cave that day: as the woman's operatic singing filled the air, the divine eye deep within the cave slowly closed. He didn't know if the opera singing was specifically directed at that one deity, or if the sound itself contained an unfathomable power capable of making deities close their eyes. Regardless, Xu Qing felt the Sound-Capturing Bottle was a worthwhile purchase.

Shortly after, as departure time neared and footsteps echoed outside his room, Xu Qing put away the small bottle, straightened his clothes, and stepped out. Most of the Eight Sect Alliance disciples had gathered in the inn, but the captain was nowhere to be seen. Xu Qing wasn't surprised; while others might have hesitated regarding the ghost market, the captain certainly couldn't resist. However, it was clear that traveling to the county capital was paramount in the captain's mind. So, just as the departure time drew near, he rushed back from outside, arriving breathlessly beside Xu Qing, his eyes still gleaming with excitement.

"Little Ah Qing, did you visit the ghost market? Let me tell you, there are some great treasures in there!"

Xu Qing was about to speak, but in the next instant, his expression changed, mirroring the sudden shifts on the faces of all the disciples in the inn. At that very moment, an astonishing pressure emanated from outside the inn. This pressure exuded an indescribable chill, making the inn feel as though it were encased in ancient ice. A profound sense of terror, beyond anyone's control, surged within every mind.

Xu Qing was no stranger to this sensation; his very first encounter with the uncanny had evoked a similar feeling. Similarly, during the three months he had served as the keeper of forbidden artifacts, the insights he gained into the depths of restricted zones through those artifacts had revealed comparable sensations.

Just as everyone's minds reeled, Zixuan emerged from her inn room. With a single step, she reached the main door and gently pushed it open. As the door swung inward, the scene outside... was strikingly different from what Xu Qing had observed upon his earlier return.

The ghost market remained, but so did the normal market. It was as if white and black, yin and yang, had appeared simultaneously, the two markets overlapping and blurring into one another. Within this blur, high in the sky, a black vessel several thousand feet in length silently emerged from the void and hovered there.

This black vessel was riddled with holes and severely dilapidated; its sails were torn and ragged, exuding an aura of ancient decay and an overwhelming concentration of deathly qi. Its arrival cast a chilling, oppressive shadow, as if capable of freezing everything in its path.

This was a ghost ship. It hung motionless in the air, as though the market below was a port, and it had paused briefly to await its passengers.

"Board the ship!" Zixuan's calm voice resonated. With a single step, she ascended into the sky and entered the boundless, ominous ghost ship.

Xu Qing and the captain exchanged glances, then stepped forward simultaneously, soaring directly toward the sky. The other disciples, steeling their nerves, also took flight. Soon, the entire contingent of the Eight Sect Alliance was heading straight for the ghost ship.

As they boarded, the chilling sensation intensified, and the ghost ship's dilapidation became even clearer in Xu Qing's vision than before. Most of the deck was rotten, riddled with holes in many places, and the stern was so severely damaged it appeared on the verge of disintegration. Yet, despite its name, there were no spectral figures visible anywhere on the ghost ship. Nevertheless, the oppressive gloom was intensely palpable.

Xu Qing also noticed that it wasn't only the Eight Sect Alliance boarding; dozens of other cultivators from the market chose to embark at the same moment. Among them, Xu Qing spotted the two Sword Wielders he had previously encountered. Upon stepping onto the ghost ship, these two also looked toward Xu Qing and the captain. Both parties showed surprise at seeing each other again. The two Sword Wielders nodded to Xu Qing and the captain, then, without further conversation, entered the ship's cabin.

The ship's cabin was equally dilapidated. Upon entering, Xu Qing observed everyone finding a place to sit. Immortal Zixuan and the old woman from Five Peaks were also meditating nearby. He therefore chose a corner where he had a full view and sat down. The captain surveyed the area before settling beside Xu Qing.

"Where there are ghost markets, there are ghost ships," Zixuan's voice echoed in Xu Qing's mind. This time, however, the voice didn't just echo in his mind. Xu Qing noticed that the captain and the other alliance disciples were also looking up at Immortal Zixuan, who sat not far away.

"Ghost ships are the most common anomaly on the Wanggu Continent. They can transport people vast distances, traveling at speeds far surpassing ordinary flying vessels. While flying vessels traverse space, ghost ships navigate the realms of life and death. Any place touched by death effectively creates a thread for them, allowing them to traverse through it. For the next month, we will cross the land aboard this ghost ship. You all must remember, once the ghost ship departs, you are not to open your eyes for the entire month. This is a taboo of the ghost ship." As Zixuan's voice resonated, everyone nodded in acknowledgment.

"Xu Qing, Chen Erniu, retrieve the cloud beast flesh and place it on the deck outside the cabin. That is our fare."

Xu Qing nodded and, with the captain, went out of the cabin. They retrieved the two giant cloud beast corpses acquired during their journey and placed them outside. The two Sword Wielders did likewise, depositing portions of flesh and blood. The others followed suit.

Having completed the task, Xu Qing returned to find the captain still outside.

"Xu Qing, go retrieve him."

Immortal Zixuan spoke calmly. This was her demeanor in public throughout the journey; only when they were alone would she direct an unusual gaze toward Xu Qing. Xu Qing found this arrangement more comfortable. Turning to look, he spotted the captain outside an entrance on the deck that led to the ship's hold. The captain's expression was one of deep curiosity. He was crouched there, investigating, as if intending to slip down for a look. Noticing Xu Qing's approach, he spoke in a low voice.

"Little Ah Qing, there are treasures inside this ghost ship that can accelerate our cultivation! I just heard a voice calling me from within, wanting to exchange items with me!"

Xu Qing paused upon hearing this. After a moment's thought, he crouched beside the captain and glanced downward.

"A trick."

"Most likely, they want to lure me down. I'm considering if I should seize an opportunity to pull off a heist."

The captain grinned; this was what he admired most about Xu Qing. They understood each other instantly without needing lengthy explanations. "Not now," Xu Qing transmitted telepathically after a moment's thought. "Once we reach our destination, we can assess the situation."

"Alright, otherwise, if something goes wrong, it'll be trouble if this ghost ship refuses to carry us." The captain nodded, and the two rose and returned to the cabin. The moment they stepped inside, Zixuan shot a fierce glare at the captain.

"Beneath this ghost ship, malevolent Return-to-Void spirits are sealed. If you wish to seek death, go alone."

The captain looked somewhat wronged, casting a resentful glance at Xu Qing. After all, it had been a joint decision... Xu Qing lowered his head, sitting cross-legged to the side, feigning ignorance.

A short while later, just as the first rays of dawn were about to appear between heaven and earth, the ghost ship suddenly vibrated, then began to blur. At that very moment, Zixuan's voice resonated in the minds of the Eight Sect Alliance disciples.

"Close your eyes!"

Everyone's eyes instantly shut. With his eyes closed, Xu Qing felt the ghost ship's vibrations intensify, as though it were traversing through something. Soon, the first rays of dawn appeared, and the ghost ship vanished from the sky. The ethereal ghost market that had overlapped with the earthly marketplace dissipated, and the market returned to its normal state.

Inside the ghost ship, the chilling sensation intensified with the vessel's continuous traversal. A profound silence enveloped them, broken only by the constant tremors of the ship's hull. Though Xu Qing's eyes were closed, his shadow soon transmitted a scene into his mind.

The image showed the dilapidated cabin of the ghost ship. Everyone's eyes were closed, except for the captain's... An eye had emerged from inside his shirt at his chest, surveying the surroundings. This eye was eerie, emitting a blue glow, radiating ferocity and an ominous chill. It seemed to meld with the surrounding atmosphere, appearing like a true ghost eye.

Xu Qing was not surprised. He manipulated his shadow to observe the area outside the cabin where the flesh and blood had been placed. He quickly saw countless black figures there, each with glowing red eyes and a frenzied demeanor, ravenously devouring the meat. Occasionally, as they tore at the flesh, they would glance back, their red eyes fixed greedily on those inside the cabin. A brutal, ferocious malevolence was palpable from them, yet they restrained themselves from entering the cabin.

Eventually, a few of them, after finishing their meal, hesitated for a long time. Seemingly unable to resist, they slipped into the cabin, drifting back and forth before the people inside. As one drifted past Zixuan, it silently vanished. Another disappeared before the old woman from Five Peaks. Yet another appeared directly in front of Xu Qing, sniffing at his face, its red eyes blazing. It opened its mouth, but in the next instant, with a single breath from Xu Qing, the specter violently trembled and was instantly sucked into Xu Qing's mouth, suppressed within his Heavenly Palace.

A specter also drifted near the captain, staring intently at his ghastly eye. Noticing the disappearance of its companions, the specter was visibly alarmed and was about to flee. But in the next instant, the captain's ghastly eye transformed into a gaping maw. With a swift gulp, it swallowed the black specter whole, then nonchalantly reverted to an eye, even winking at Xu Qing.

Outside the cabin, numerous specters continued to scramble for food, oblivious to the demise of their companions inside. After a while, as the final piece of flesh was consumed, these specters slowly dispersed across the ghost ship. Like a crew, they took control, causing the vessel to suddenly accelerate with great speed. It plunged into the dark netherworld ahead, traversing through it.